Lisa Scissorhands
by LittleGreenPen
Summary: This story takes place during the episode 'Homer Scissorhands', ignoring the whole plot in which Homer becomes a barber and focusing instead on Lisa's subplot. Read inside for a better understanding.
1. Introduction

**Lisa Scissorhands**

**By LittleGreenPen**

* * *

**Introduction**

This story takes place during the episode 'Homer Scissorhands', ignoring the whole plot in which Homer becomes a barber and focusing instead on Lisa's subplot.

For those who don't remember, the subplot of the episode is about Lisa who becomes jealous when Milhouse falls for a fifth grader named Taffy and this makes her question about her own feeling for him. Why do I write it? In short, I really liked the episode, but I was disappointed on some things. The subplot, that was the part that interested me more, was... empty, if we put it in this way. Everything happened so fast, the characters had just few lines apiece and there are still unanswered questions. This is just my opinion, I don't want to offend anyone. My intention is to make it more complete and put emphasis on every character's feelings, especially Lisa's ones, from beginning to end of the story. Or at least try to do it.

It's not my first attempt to write a Simpson fanfic, all the others are failed or are interrupted for now. I really hope to be able to complete it, to improve my writing and to entertain you.

Thanks to all those who read. Thanks even more to those who review it.

**Warnings**

The Simpsons belong to Matt Groening. This story contains some scenes and lines of the episode, but everything else is my imagination.

As I said before, feedback are really appreciate, but not flames.

Good reading!


	2. Chapter one: An unwanted admirer

**Chapter one: An unwanted admirer**

It was lunch time in Springfield Elementary School and Lisa Simpson was sitting alone to eat quietly her lunch, as every school day.

As she absently was munching her vegetarian sandwich, was concentrated in reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird', one of her favorite books. She recently used to read books in the cafeteria, so she avoided getting bored and gave the impression to her schoolmates to have no need of their company. Even if, in her hearth, she desperately wished it.

Suddenly, she felt someone approaching her. It seemed strange, because most of the people at school tended to ignore her existence, some even avoided to sit next to her. Maybe that day there was a new student that was looking for a person with whom befriend. But as soon as she looked up, her hopes fell. That _'someone'_ was none other than Milhouse Van Houten, her brother's best friend and her persistent admirer, who had just climbed onto the table where she was having lunch. He was smiling and was clearly agog. Lisa also noticed that he held a speaker.

She didn't have time to wonder what his intentions were, that he began to talk loudly to the speaker, capturing the attention of everyone who was in the cafeteria. "Attention, lovers of love!"

Lisa blinked and put her book down, as a shiver ran down her back. She had a bad feeling about it.

"Let it be known by all: Lisa Simpson is the smartest, sweetest, most perfectest girl in the whole world, and I shall not rest until I am her _boyfriend_." Milhouse continued to say, as the other children approached curiously at the table.

_Oh, Buddha..._ Lisa groaned and covered her face. Exactly what she feared. He was courting her in front at the whole school! Before he had never done in public, she wasn't ready for this! Even if she didn't dare to look up, she could feel the eyes of the other children not only on him, but on _her_. It was an unpleasant sensation to which she wasn't used. Lisa regretted all the times when she wasn't noticed.

Milhouse came a little close to her, knelt and he said, lowering his voice, "I know you like music, Lisa, so I'm gonna perform a love song I wrote... for you!"

Lisa felt another unpleasant shiver ran down her back. How could she survive this? She already knew that she would become the gossip of the week, or worse, would have ended up on the school's newspaper. She couldn't imagine what could be worse.

Wendell and Database came forward and leaned on the table something - probably a musical instrument - covered with a blue cloth. Milhouse took off the cloth and revealed... a theremin. Probably he had already planned everything, from speech to song, to make things 'right'.

She wondered if there was a way to stop him from singing in front of everyone. She looked at him pleading, asking to him not to do any action but stop the whole thing. But he misunderstood her gaze and nodded, smiling accomplice. "Oh yeah, it's a theremin!"

Then Martin Prince came forward and started to play his lute. As Lisa realized she was screwed, Milhouse started to play the theremin and to sing.

_"Teacher said, don't eat the paste,_

_'Tis apt to make you speeew..."_

The music of the lute and the theremin had a slow pace, but Milhouse - who wasn't the best of singers - couldn't intone well the notes because he sang to fast. Not to mention the words of the song.

Lisa knew that, for how much a song could be terrible, efforts shall be made to appreciate. Above all, that song was dedicated to her and Milhouse seemed proud of his work. She should at least encourage him. But at that moment... she just couldn't. Her smile, that she had forced with difficulty to save face in front of others, had become a painful grimace. And Lisa felt that also the other children were uncomfortable or shocked.

Milhouse didn't notice Lisa's reaction, even the others kids's reaction, so continued to sing as nothing had happened.

_"I ate the paste, and liked the taste,_

_Passed out and dreamed of youuu...!"_

Lisa took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Maybe in some way she could make him stop. She took courage and said, "Okay... first of all, it's never wise to use the word "spew" in a love song."

This didn't stop him at all. Indeed, he seemed quite prompted by this comment, and continued his performance, raising his voice and adding a weird dance to the song.

_"Lisa, Lisa, maid so fair,_

_With crimson dress and pointy hair,_

_Do you mind if I stop and stare..."_

Milhouse knelt in front of her.

_"... Look in your mind and I'm theeere...!"_

_Ugh..._ Lisa groaned again. For sure she wanted to find him in her mind, but now that was the least of her problems.

There was a moment's pause, during which the children were eager to hear her response. But the most eager of all was Milhouse, who expected to see her touched by this romantic surprise, or at least to hear a polite comment. But Lisa wasn't touched at all and she was so committed to hide his embarrassment from the others who made no effort to make even the most fake of the compliments.

Seeing that she wasn't talking, he spoke first, "So, Lisa, _I love you_."

Lisa held barely a yelp of surprise. She had always known he had a crush for her, but until then she believed that it was no more than a simple infatuation. She didn't expect feelings so true, and unusual for a child of his age. That 'I love you' had been pronounced with such sincerity a passion that not only surprised, but also frightened Lisa. She was only eight years old, she wasn't ready for that kind of things. She didn't even imagine that a kid, a ten year old kid, could feel something so strong. In her heart she was flattered and moved, but how could she admit it to him, if she couldn't even admit it to herself?

Before Lisa could only think about an answer, he preceded her, almost impatiently. "Is that love 'requited' or 'un'?"

Here is what was worse than the song.

Lisa remembered the time when she broke Ralph Wiggune's heart during the 29th Anniversary Special of Krusty, in front of a lot of people. She had a fit of rage and shouted she never liked him, but of course she acted out of resentment and then she immediately regretted having hurt him. Now she didn't want Milhouse to suffer in the same way, and above she didn't want to feel guilty again. But on the other hand, there were other solutions? If she pretended to feel his own feelings, it would have been much worse. She had to be honest with him, tell him how things really went, even if it would break his heart.

Therefore, Lisa sighed and said, with a sad tone, "I'm sorry, but I don't love you, Milhouse..."

The painful truth. In a way, she knew he wouldn't surrender easily and he wouldn't rest until she gave way. So, it was better to avoid that the next day he wouldn't try again with another absurd song.

"... and I _never_ will." she added quickly.

She regretted having said that before he could fully receive the message. In the cafeteria there was silence, and everyone stared at them in shock, holding back the moans of surprise. Neither Nelson Muntz cried his usual 'haw-haw', because it would be considered too cruel. Milhouse's smile dropped. His face now showed a mix of emotions ranging from pain to humiliation. Although Lisa could imagine it, she would never understood at all what he was going through in that moment.

Milhouse opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it because it was clear that any attempt would be futile. So he turned his back and came down from the table. All children immediately looked away and pretended to talk to each other, always keeping their eyes on the child that walked away slowly.

Lisa looked at him. She felt pity... but it wasn't her fault. She had done nothing but say how things were. She had done absolutely nothing to be liked by him, she didn't even know why he loved her.

Lisa looked away from him and saw two girls - maybe from the third grade - who were glaring at her. Confused, she turned her gaze again and met Martin's eyes, which was putting away his lute. He stopped to stare at her for a moment and then shook his head disapprovingly. Lisa gasped. Why did the others kids judge her so bad? It was unfair. Even if now they looked at Milhouse with sympathetic smiles, but in other times they were the first to not care about how he felt.

"Hypocrites," Lisa mumbled to herself, "I would like to see how you would have behaved in my situation."

She shifted her gaze to Milhouse, who was heading towards the cafeteria's door, looking at the ground. Here she saw a _girl_ who got up from the table and walked up to him. She was taller and slimmer than Lisa, and surely she was about few years older than her. Her face was cute and her hair was brunette, combed with big curls. Lisa wondered what she wanted to him. Did she want make fun of him? Make him more miserable than he already was? 'And then the others accused me to be cruel...' she thought bitterly.

But Lisa was wrong. With her daze - which was close enough to hear - the girl opened her mouth and told to Milhouse, "I thought that was _beautiful_."

Lisa's eyes widened. _She did?_

Milhouse himself looked up surprised and stared at the girl, who had stopped a few steps ahead of him. "You did?" he said hopefully.

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It was _romantic_ and it _rhymed_."

Lisa's eyes widened even more. Was that girl _serious_? Then she shoke her head. 'She must be jocking...', she thought. But the girl seemed really sincere and it didn't seem she was teasing the boy.

Milhouse seemed even more disbelief than Lisa. He didn't know what to reply. Not very often he received compliments like that - especially by such a pretty girl - so he merely said, "Well, I used a rhyming dictionary..." seeing that the interest of the girl was true, he added, "... but it only gives you options. The job of the poet is to say, 'This one, I guess'."

The girl giggled. It was a cheerful, flirtatious giggle. For some strange reason, Lisa felt a slight discomfort at the sound of that laugh.

"I'm Taffy." The girl introduced herself, as soon as she finished giggling. Then she smiled sweetly at Milhouse, who seemed to have just forgotten all that was around him. The boy was dazed by that smile, like a blind man that sees the light for the first time. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but then he remembered that Taffy probably knew who he was, so he said shyly, "Would you like to help me roll the theremin back to the A.V. closet?"

"It's a _date_." Taffy replied soon.

This time, Lisa gaped in surprise.

He looked down shyly, not believing what he had just heard. Then he moved his eyes from left to right, to search the theremin. "Where did I leave it?" He asked, as if his mind had removed what he had done a few moments ago.

"Oh," Taffy said, pointing at Lisa's table. "It's over there."

As Milhouse turned in that direction, Lisa grabbed her book and pretended to read, blushing slightly. She didn't want to give them the impression that she had been staring at them all the time.

Both came to the table and Taffy helped Milhouse to put the theremin on the ground. Lisa continued to pretend to read, but her ears were listening.

"You know," she heard Taffy who spoke, "usually the ones who write love songs always use the guitar. I can swear that I've never heard of anyone who has used a theremin..."

Milhouse chuckled uncomfortable. "Well, I... I just wanted to do something original..."

"Oh, I like original guys!" Taffy exclaimed, still in Lisa's disbelief. "And I liked your idea."

"T-thank you."

"You're welcome."

Lisa raised her head and looked at the couple that was heading towards the cafeteria's door. As she saw them so close and well together, she felt her heart sank. But it was only for a moment. A group of girls stared themselves at the two kids, whispering to each other. 'It seems I will not be the gossip of the week anymore...' Lisa thought.

Also Principal Seamur Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers looked at them with curiosity. Skinner, with expression of knowing, commented, "Hm! That theremin has paid for itself again and again."

Chalmers glanced at him, "Skinner, why do you always talk to me as we get on each other?" Then he turned his back and went away muttering, while Skinner stammered some apologies.

Lisa shook her head and looked at vegetarian sandwich. She was no longer hungry. Then she took up her book and continued reading, or at least she tried. Milhouse's song was echoing in her mind disturbingly.

Everything had just happened so quickly that Lisa wasn't able to reconnect the whole situation. It was all... confused. The matter itself was weird, inexplicable and unlikely. But it wasn't only that. Lisa felt there was something in. Something... _wrong_. Taffy, this pretty, kind, sweet creature, had appeared suddenly just in time to console him from being rejected from his biggest love of all his life? Who was she, his guardian angel? What was so special about the song, about the theremin and most of all, about Milhouse? Lisa couldn't find an answer.

Moreover, there's something about Taffy. Lisa was sure she had already heard about her of had seen her somewhere, but at that moment her mind wasn't able to find any information about her. But everything that girl did and said was... _curious_. All her actions led to think she had a true interest for Milhouse, although it was impossible that he had conquered a girl with a song like that. Even if she first seemed so honest. Or maybe she was just a good actress. And if she was crazy?

Lisa sighed exasperated. 'All this silliness for what?' she thought. 'Why should I care? At least he won't look at me anymore...' again, she felt her heart sank at the thought. And once again, she felt uncomfortable unsure and without answers.

"I need to rest." she murdered to herself.

The bell rang. All the children, including Lisa, stood up and ran out of the cafeteria. Most of them went in the schoolyard to play. Instead Lisa decided to go to the library. She needed to be alone and she was sure that no student at that time would have been there.

As she was heading there, she goes next to the A.V. closet. The door was ajar. Were Milhouse and Taffy still there? No, it was impossible, they certainly were already out to play. And if...? Lisa, out of curiosity, took a step toward the door to give a little peek, but than she stopped and shook her head. "No." she said aloud. She was ashamed for having had interest on what Milhouse was doing. "And anyway, none of my business." she added, turning back at the door and walking away.

Still... she could always check in there if everything was in order. Principal Skinner had entrusted to her the task of controlling the classrooms, maybe those two had broken something.

So Lisa came back and reached for the handle.

Suddenly she heard a giggle - nay, two giggles - belonging to two persons that were familiar to Lisa. She leaped and rolled over, finding herself in front of two identical figures with long purple hair, pale skin and the same lilac dress.

They were Sherri and Terri.


	3. Chapter two: Not so fair-weather friends

**Chapter two: Not so fair-weather friends**

"Sherri! Terri!" Lisa almost shouted in a tone somewhere between surprise and fear.

Feeling their presence too close for her liking, she instinctively recoiled and ended by close the A.V. closet's door with her back. By now, she had ruled out any possibility that Milhouse and Taffy could still be in there, or at least she hoped.

Sherri and Terri giggled for her reaction. Lisa, in turn, chuckled uncomfortably and tried to smile. But her smile changed again into that painful grimace. She wondered how many other times that day would have to save face in front of others.

There was an awkward moment in which no one spoke. The twins were staring at her with a mischievous grim on their pale faces, that grim that Lisa had always hated since she had known Sherri and Terri. But it was nothing compared to all the jokes, mocking, humiliations she had suffered from those two. And that was the least suitable day to meet Sherri and Terri, having regard to the moment of shame that he had just passed in front of the whole school.

Lisa's first thought was to get rid of that two that kept her trapped, as two cobras would do with a mouse. But seeing there was no way out and needing to break the silence, she stammered, "L-looking for me?"

One of the twins, difficult to say who of the two, nodded and replied, "Actually... yes, Lisa. We were wondering why recently you don't hang out with us anymore."

On other occasions, Lisa would have laughed sarcastically at this claim. The fact is that Sherri and Terri weren't exactly those who Lisa considered as friends. It was right to call them _acquaintances_, _playmates_ or maybe _fair-weather friends_, but_ friends_ wasn't the appropriate term. There were some moments when Lisa really wished to be their friends and at the same time they were nice to her and accepted her company. But this rarely happened, by coincidence when Lisa was able to get some sympathy from the others. Usually the two ignored her or, worse, made fun of her. And now, judging by their false and ironic tone, it was one of those moments.

"Er... I..." Lisa stammered.

"What are you doing?" the twins asked in unison, cutting her.

Lisa turned for a moment to give a little glance to the door closed behind her. "I was just... I just wanted to make sure everything was in order." Then she forced a chuckle and tried to do way between Sherri and Terri, "I've just checked and... indeed everything is in order, so... I'm going to the library... bye bye!"

Lisa began to walk, hoping that those two had better things to do than follow her. But the twins wouldn't let her escape so easily.

"Wait! We just wanted to know how you feel... after... what is happened." the first twin said, running after her.

"Yep!" the second twin chirped, "Well, maybe you need someone with which talk."

"Oh, good idea Terri!" Sherri exclaimed, then she turned to Lisa eagerly, "Please Lisa, tell us everything!"

It was more than obvious that they were referring to Milhouse's love declaration and they didn't want to help her. But Lisa was offended at the thought that they considered her so naive.

"No thanks, I'm fine..." she answered coolly without stopping to walk. At that time she looked like a star willing to move away from two journalists. A star less fashionable and popular, for instance. "And there's nothing to say. If you really want to comfort someone go to find Milhouse. He's the one who needs it most."

"Oh!" Terri said, "I think that _someone_ is already comforting him."

Lisa's eyes widened a bit. That _someone_ was Taffy, it couldn't be anyone but her. She sighed frustrated Just when she was determined to find a quiet place where she could read her book in peace and forget what had happened, those two came to talk about it. Before she feared of being teased, now she was mad.

So, she suddenly stopped stomping and she turned towards them. Even the twins stopped spontaneously.

"Listen," she said with hard words, "everything that happens to me is nobody's business, much less yours."

Sherri and Terri's grins dropped. Lisa had never used that voice in front of them and she wasn't able to defend herself from their mockery. For the first time, they couldn't find a good answer. Finally, Sherri shrugged indifferent and started, "We just wanted to..."

"I don't remember I've asked your help for this matter..." Lisa interrupted her roughly, "... and I never will. So, I don't think you have more to add."

After saying this, Lisa took a moment to observe their reactions. She has just managed to shout out them! For the first time in two years, she did it! It was a nice feeling to stand up to people and within herself she felt a small victory.

Indeed, both Sherri and Terri opened their mouth to reply, but then gave up, turned dismissive and moved away from her. She began walking in the opposite direction, with a satisfied smile on her face. But that smile vanished when she heard them singing a part of Milhouse's song, "_Lisa, Lisa, maid so fair, with crimson dress and pointy hair..._"

She rolled her eyes and looked on the book on her hand. She opened it and stared at the little black words on white paper. Now she even didn't feeling like to read. But why? Why? Since when she, Lisa Simpson, had no desire to read? What was happening to her that day? It was from when she went out from the cafeteria that she felt an odd _feeling_. Many times in her life she had felt it, but in that moment it was somehow worse. She had an odd _thought_ that didn't stop tormenting her. A thought that was somehow connected to... _Milhouse_? Yes, it made sense in that situation. But there was also something deeper, though she couldn't explain it. Or she knew it, but she didn't believe it possible.

Lisa sighed. She went to her locker, opened it, put down her book and snapped out the door. 'If I do not want to read, so be it.' she thought. Actually, she wanted to do nothing in particular. But she needed to distract by the nagging thought out of her mind. And she knew _who_ could help her.

She went out in the courtyard, where the children were enjoying their half-hour of play, happy and carefree. There were those who jumped the rope, who threw the ball as high as possible and those who tried to chase others kid. With Lisa's relief, no one stopped to stare her, or make fun of her.

Lisa saw her brother Bart Simpson in front of the slide and headed towards him. Bart was the distraction she needed after all that had happened, or at least she hoped so. However, she couldn't think of any other person that would have been a comfort in that moment. Lisa secretly envied her brother not for his popularity, or his tendency to get along with most of the people at school, but for the fact that he had found a best friend on Milhouse. Their friendship had its highs and lows, but this didn't change the fact that the two were very close, to the point to be considered like brothers.

On the contrary, Lisa didn't have true friends. She was able to make friends with people who shared her same interests, but her friendship lasted very little. At school she was unpopular to most of the children for the fact she was the smartest and because of her 'weird' opinions about anything. Sure, sometimes people talk with her or accepted to be her fair-weather friends. But Lisa had the impression that no one really could understand her. For now, the only person that Lisa could only try to talk seriously was her mother.

Lisa noticed that Bart had tied back of the strings at the end of the slide, so as to block the passage to anyone who had tried to descend. Too bad no one was descending in that moment. She shook her head and said, "Baaart. You've already made that prank a few days ago. Nobody would fall for that again."

He turned to his sister and sighed deeply disappointed. "Aw... but it was so much fun." then, looking up to her, asked casually, "Hey... have you seen Milhouse?"

Lisa, who had come to him only for remove that thought from her mind, snorted and glanced at him menacingly. "Why would I know?" she spattered rudely.

Bart raised his hands defensively, "Whoa! Calm down. I was just asking. I thought you knew. So, after all..."

Lisa became really annoyed. "Why? YOU are his best friend! YOU should know what he do and where he go... and I don't want to talk about what has happened! I'm sick of it!"

Bart sighed and muttered, "I told him that the song wouldn't work..."

Lisa's eyes widened and she shouted, "WHAT? Did you know it?"

Bart nodded as if it were a matter of course. "Sure."

On the one hand, Lisa wasn't much surprised, but on the other hand, she felt betrayed by her brother. "You knew it and you didn't say anything, anything that could have prevented the bad time I spent in front of the whole school!" she almost cried.

His brother snorted. "What's so tragic? Besides, I thought you knew that he likes you."

"Indeed, I've always known it, Bart..." Lisa replied, calming down, "... but I never imagined that he would have courted me in public. And also... the fact that he _loves_ me... oh Bart, I would have impeded even break his heart in front of all."

Bart seemed to don't understand her problem and in any case, he didn't really care. "He told me not to say anything, and I was fine. I guess he wanted to make you a surprise..."

'What a surprise...' Lisa thought bitterly.

"... anyway, did you know that in reality Nemo had a mother?" Bart asked suddenly.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "And what does it matter?"

"Well... from what I understand, Milhouse took inspiration from that movie to write that song - or something like that." Bart said, "However, don't you know where he is? Forget it, I'm going to see in the bathroom. Probably he will be there to cry..."

Lisa knew for sure that he wasn't in the bathroom and he wasn't even crying. But she was surprised that her brother didn't see what had happened just a moment after her refusal. Usually Bart was the first to discover things, especially if they were about his best friend.

"I don't think she can enter into the boys's toilet..." Lisa muttered to herself, referring to Taffy.

Her brother heard her. "Uh? What did you said?" he asked confused.

Lisa sighed. How could she explain that his best friend had apparently impressed a _pretty_ _girl_, even with a song like that?

"Bart, didn't you seen what happened?" she asked.

"Yes." he said, bored, "You rejected him and bye bye..."

"After that part." Lisa pointed out.

Bart thought for a moment. "Um. No, I have no idea. I was eating my lunch. Why? What did I miss?"

The bell rang for the second time. The children reluctantly stopped playing and headed slowly for the classroom.

"I'll tell you later." Lisa said. Then she added, "Maybe." Lisa was growing tired of the Milhouse's topic and didn't want to talk about it anymore that day.

Without waiting an answer by Bart, she ran inside. She felt worse than before. Her brother hadn't been an helpful distraction. As she walked in the hallway, she carefully avoided looking at the A.V. closet, as if Milhouse and Taffy could go out suddenly from here. This was not her. This was definitely not her. What was happening to her? Why did she feel this odd feeling, that gave her no peace? Maybe it was a sort of... _obsession_?

Lisa was so lost on her thoughts that didn't pay attention to where she was going and hit on _someone_.

"Ouch!" Lisa exclaimed. Then she looked up and saw that the person who had been wearing had fallen to the ground. Perhaps _she_ also was distracted that day, however Lisa still felt embarrassed. "I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't seen you..."

Janey Powell raised his head and looked at her absently. Then she picked up the magazine she was reading in that moment, stood up and said, "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Lisa immediately saw in her another chance of distraction. Maybe Janey and her futile speeches would be more useful than her brother's nonsense.

"Seriously... today my head is somewhere else." Lisa added chuckling. Could she see that this was a desperate attempt to start a conversation?

"I said I'm fine." Janey answered annoyed, as she powdered her pink dress. Then she headed for her locker.

Lisa wondered why she had responded so rudely Unlike Sherri and Terri, Janey was a person with whom was easy to make friend. Moreover, she was almost always cheerful and carefree, even if a little shallow. Although she wasn't nearly as intelligent or nerdy as her, Lisa had no difficulty getting along with her because they shared many interests. Once Lisa even considered Janey as her best friend, however, later she realized that their friendship was far from the kind of relationship that Bart and Milhouse had. This because Janey had the defect of being always on the side of majority. This meant that when the others kids teased Lisa, also her _fair-weather friend_ joined the group. Especially when she had started to hang out with Sherri and Terri. Lisa tried to convince herself that it wasn't out of malice: everyone wanted to be accepted by the others. And for being accepted, you don't have to act differently. Lisa didn't feel close to Janey as before, but anyway she remained one of the few people that still talked to her. That's why it seemed strange Janey had been so abrupt to her.

Lisa decided not to give up and follow Janey to her locker. When Janey opened it, Lisa gave a quick look inside to find something to start a conversation, but it was a vain attempt. There were many pictures of her, several friends and new pop stars of which Lisa didn't even know the name. A pile of magazines were placed next some romance novels. 'D'ho!' Lisa mentally cried.

Janey suddenly turned and Lisa found herself face to face to her.

"Oh!" Janey exclaimed and put her hand to her heart. She was out of breath and seemed to be caught red-handed. But why? She was doing anything wrong. Then she immediately changed her expression, as she didn't want to hide her emotions. "Uh, it's you. Do you need something?"

In her tone there was something between indifference and annoyance. But it seemed forced: her voice trembled and Lisa believed to hear also a certain melancholy She didn't know how to call it, but it was as if Janey got hurt to talk to her.

"Yes, huh..." Lisa started unsure, "I was... I was wondering if one of these days you... if you like, of course... if you'd like to come to my house."

Janey's eyes winded a bit, but she didn't change her expression. "Oh yeah, and why?" she asked, always with the same tone as before. Lisa still didn't understand. As her 'friend' was staring at her, she moving a brown curl behind her ear with dismissive air. Lisa noticed that she was acting like Sherri and Terri and she had totally lost her friendship. Or perhaps not. Maybe it was just a bad day also for her. Or maybe Lisa had hurt her, of course for something she wasn't aware.

"You see..." Lisa said with sincerity, "... we don't hang out together as before. I didn't know why. We used to have so much fun together and... I miss it. So... well, I would have told you before, but I couldn't find a good moment... I'm telling you now because in this moment I need a _friend_ more than ever."

The way in which she pronounced the last words would have moved the hardest of hearts. Lisa couldn't know it, but inside Janey there was a feeling that was stronger than compassion. "I think you get too much _affection_..." she answered with both envy and melancholy. This time she didn't pretend a different tone. Then she turned and went in the classroom.

Lisa wasn't able to make a move. She just stood there, wondering what she meant by this. And if she was referring of Milhouse's feelings for her? 'Of course she was...' Lisa thought resigned. 'Who else in this school gives me affection?' Now she understand. Janey was mad at her because Milhouse loved her. She has long suspected that her 'friend' had a crush on him, despite all the attention she devoted to other older boys. And now Janey felt betrayed by her.

Lisa went to the classroom slowly. How much trouble had that boy caused today? First he made her feel ashamed in front of the whole school, then it was his fault if her fair-weather friend was so hostile to her. Of course, Milhouse hadn't done it on purpose. But there was also that strange sensation - what was it? Anxiety? Obsession? - she felt, but he had nothing to do with it. Or better, he has to do but he wasn't the _only one_.

When she entered in the class, almost all her classmates were in group talking with each other. Janey - who ironically had changed her mood - was chatting happily with Allison Taylor and Alex Whitney that, ironically, had been her friends. But also they, like everyone else, quickly joined to the group of 'fair-weather friends'. See the three girls together, so cheerful and carefree, made Lisa feel more alone than the others time. Perhaps that was the way she was meant to be.

_Alone_.

She sat at her desk in the front row, as Mrs. Hubert entered in the room. The lesson was about to start.

* * *

The long sound of the bell was welcomed by all students and by teachers themselves. Everyone rushed out of their classrooms and ran towards the exit. They were just waiting for this.

Lisa smiled with satisfaction as she took her books from her locker. As she used to say, an A+ a day keeps the sadness away. It was true that being the best student of the class - or rather, of the whole school - certainly didn't affect her popularity. But this was like, the price she had to pay if she wanted to get a scholarship to a prestigious collage. She couldn't trust her father's bank account.

'If my good grades should be the only consolation, so be it.' Lisa thought, looking Janey, Allison and Alex who were heading out of the school, always laughing and joking with a complicity that only they could understand.

At least she no longer felt that horrible sensation as before. Her heart was slight. History had really helped her to relax and another good grade helped her feel better.

"Hey Lis," she heard her brother come from behind, "today mom come to give us a ride."

"Great." Lisa smiled. At least she shouldn't have to return home by bus with the others kids.

Milhouse suddenly walked past Bart. Lisa almost jumped for his sight. Her heart began to pound. For a moment, she feared that the unpleasant sensation of before would come back to torment her again. Instead, her heart calmed down and continued to beat in its usual rhythm. She felt... nothing. Everything was normal. If it was so, she really made it. She succeeded on expel that weird thought from her mind. Throughout the day, she was sure she would have been lighthearted.

Bart turned to his best friend.

"Oh, here you are, man. Do you know what I did? I put a stink bomb in Skinner's office. I wish I could be there to see his face!" Bart said, as Lisa rolled her eyes to her brother's immaturity.

Milhouse turned towards Bart and looked at him confused, as he has just realized his best friend was right here at that time. "Huh?"

Bart laughed aloud, put his arm around Milhouse's shoulder and dragged him out of school. Lisa followed them. When Bart had made sure to be out of school, he whispered, "You'll see the prank I'm doing for tomorrow. See you in my three-house, so you can help me to _build_ it!"

"A-actually Bart..." Milhouse said absently, as removed Bart's arm from his shoulder. Before to continue the sentence, he looked around as he was waiting for something, or better, _someone_. "I'm... I'm a bit busy today."

Bart raised his eyebrow. Also Lisa listened curiously, making sure to keep her eyes away from the two. "Really? Still go by your analyst?" Her brother asked.

Milhouse giggle uneasy. "Er... no. I..."

"_Milhouse!_"

A flirtatious and feminine voice called the kid's name. Lisa recognized it immediately and felt her heart sank for the third time. That was Taffy's voice. The three children instantly turned and saw the smiling girl, in front of the school's door.

Milhouse smiled shyly at Taffy's sight.

Bart shifted his gaze by the brunette girl and his best friend. Lisa noticed that he was confused and disbelieving. She must have had his similar expression, when she saw Taffy talk to Milhouse for the first time in the cafeteria. "Isn't that girl...?" he asked aloud, not to anyone in particular.

Milhouse, without detaching his gaze from Taffy, raised his hand and waved it to his best friend. "See you later, Bart." he said, before running towards the girl, who was waiting for him impatiently.

"...Taffy? Yes, she is." Lisa completed and answered at Bart's question. His brother opened his mouth and turned towards her, waiting for some explanations. But she didn't know how to explain the whole thing, so she just rolled her eyes as if to say, 'Yes, it's true what you're seeing!'

Lisa shifted her gaze again to Milhouse and Taffy, discovering that her apparent tranquility had been replaced by that unpleasant sensation Perhaps it was even worse than earlier, because she had the confirm that her discomfort was caused by those two. Lisa also noticed that Milhouse, just few hours ago, had told her _'I love you'_, and now he had barely said some words to Bart, but he didn't even greeted _her_. It was like since he had met his _new_ _little friend_, he didn't even remember her existence. On the one hand, this was positive for all: Milhouse no longer was heartbroken and Lisa got rid of an unwanted admirer. But on the other hand... this was worrying her for _unknown reasons_. Her istinct told her that there was something _wrong_.

_Honk honk_

This time it was a beep to turn Bart and Lisa back. The two saw the orange car of their mother, just right behind the yellow bus. Marge was in, sitting in the driver's seat, and was waiting for them impatiently. She seemed to have hurry.

Bart looked for the last time his best friend who was still talking - or _flirting?_ - with Taffy. Then, after a first shock, he shrugged indifferently and walked to the car. Lisa stood watching numbed at the happy duo, finding it still unbelievable.

"Lisa, hurry up!" Marge cried from the car, honking.

Lisa blinked, shook her head and got into the car. She took off her rucksack and sat down with a thud on the seat. 'Finally out of school...' Lisa thought. For the first she had seen that place as a prison.

As she left, Marge asked cheerfully at her children, "So, how was your day?"

"Fine..." Bart answered regardless, looking out the window.

Lisa lowered her eyes sadly. On another occasion, she would answered sarcastically at the question. But now she was exhausted and wanted to vent with her mother. Tell her everything, since what was happened during lunchtime until that moment. Describe her embarrassment when Milhouse had sung his absurd song in front of all, and then force her to broke his heart. Tell her about how Milhouse conquered another girl instead of her, and how this seemed the cause of her that odd sensation. That all her fair-weather friends had mocked or abandoned her and she had felt more alone than ever.

Marge, with her motherly instinct felt her daughter's spleen. "Honey? Is something bad happened?" she asked worried.

Lisa raised her head and opened her mouth. It was true, she could always talk to her mother seriously, but... would she understand her? She wasn't far as her fair-weather friends, but not even as close as a true friend.

"Oh no, mom! Anything bad happened. I'm fine..." she answered, forcing a smile.

"Oh." her mother said, still a little suspicious and concerned, "Ok."

"I'm fine." Lisa eventually repeated quietly, perhaps to convince also herself, _"I'm fine."_


	4. Chapter three: How to start the day

**Chapter three: How to start the day **

The two Simpson kids were attending for the bus, precisely in the sidewalk that was in front of their house. That morning they were unusually early and so far, neither of them had spoken a word.

Lisa stared at her brother with one eye, slightly concerned about him. Bart was very quiet that day. His gaze was looking at an invisible point in front of him, as he were focusing on something. This behavior would have been normal for a person like Lisa, who liked being in quiet to think. But for anyone who knew Bart Simpson, was aware that for him talking was an habit and thinking was instead an option. Not to mention that he wouldn't have missed the opportunity to make one of his usual jokes about nerds, play a trick or simply talk with her.

'Maybe he didn't slept enough...' the girl concluded to herself, even if Bart's expression wasn't sleepy, but absent. It seemed that his mind belonged to another world.

Whatever it was, Lisa needed to break that unknown silence that made them look like two strangers, rather that two siblings. Therefore, after having chosen an ordinary topic of the day before, she murmured, "So... what do you think about dad's new job?"

"Huh?" Bart snapped back to the present and turned to her, confused. "Dad what?" he asked carelessly, showing that he had failed to perceive her question and, above all, that he didn't care to start a conversation.

But Lisa wanted, thus she tried a second attempt. "I asked you what you think about dad's new world..." she said, somewhat annoyed. Was it really so difficult to start a conversation with her brother? She didn't know. He usually was the first to spoke.

Bart looked at her for a moment, then shrugged. "In a week he'll change his job again." He said casually. He was a bit tired of this, especially because the previous evening Homer didn't nothing but talk about hair and how many compliments he had received that day for his extraordinary talent. In addition, even if he didn't have many clients, those few promised that they would recommend him to their friends.

Lisa paused, hoping that her brother began to talk about anything. But he turned his gaze to the left, expecting to behold the bus emerging from down the street. Seeing that the road was empty, he returned to staring at the space, lost in who knows what thoughts.

Her sister observed him better and finally was able to read the expression on her brother's face. He was tumbled What if he was tormented by nagging thoughts, just as she was the day before? It could be. But why? Maybe he had launched a dangerous prank, and now he feared to be in trouble with their parents? Unlikely. The last day he had spent all the time playing video games. Bad grade? Impossible. What else could torment him? A girl? Lisa smirked at the thought, but then she remembered that lately he wasn't particularly attracted to any 'chick'. So what?

"What's wrong, Bart?" Lisa asked suddenly, unable to resist at the curiosity.

Her brother looked up and replied vaguely, "Uh... nothing. Why?"

"You're quite today" she pointed. Then she approached him, staring straight into his eyes, like a detective who is about to seize the guilty red-handed. "Too quite." she added.

For some reason, she expected to see her brother begin to stammer some excuse, or look down and confess what he had done. Instead he showed no trace of guilt. He just frowned, as if she had gone crazy, and replied, "Tell me what's wrong with you. You're always wierd, but I've never investigated on it."

Lisa was pleased that now he was talking with her. "Well... I was... it's just unusual that you're so quite. so I thought maybe something happened and you needed my help..."

He snorted. "All people complain about how rowdy I am. But when finally I'm on my own business, everyone thinks I'm plotting something. Eat your shorts!"

"And who can blame them?" Lisa replied, feeling the typical rhythm of her bickering with him. "It is what you always do, isn't it? Not to mention that today you haven't even teased me..."

Bart raised an eyebrow. "You don't like to be teased..." he said, then he added, "... but if you really want..."

"No, thanks, I'm fine..." she said, realizing the mistake she had made. "Do you know what? You should be so calm more often..." she tried to remedy.

Bart stared at her, perplexed. "What's happening to you? Yesterday you were... well... not you!" he eventually said.

Lisa bit her lips. She didn't believe that her brother could noticed her bad mood, as her mother did. At least she hoped that he didn't find the cause of her condition. She couldn't even admit to herself that _Milhouse_ was the cause.

All the last afternoon, she tried to remove all those obsessive thoughts. Finally, since she couldn't find a good distraction nor on her books nor on her sax, she had decided to face once and for all the, as she called it, Milhouse-problem. In the end, she had drawn these conclusions: after having been rejected, it was natural that he needed a kind soul capable to console him. The fact that the soul was a girl made everything more... worrying, in her eyes. But perhaps neither of them felt real feelings and even if Taffy had gone a little too far in her role of nurse, it wouldn't last forever. Lisa expected that everything would be back to normal.

"Bart..." she replied softly, showing confident, "... Yesterday was yesterday. Today is a new day. And I've never been better." And she had to be convinced about that. That day had to go wonderfully.

Bart nodded. "So... if we're both fine... why we are fussing over nothing?"

Lisa opened her mouth, but she realized she couldn't answer at the question. Meanwhile, down the street, there was the noise of the yellow bus that was arriving. Finally she shrugged imitating her brother's indifference, and just said, "I don't know."

The bus stopped in front of them and the door opened. They immediately heard the shouts and the laughter of the other children coming from the inside. The driver Otto Mann was, as usual, sitting at the wheel. He turned to the children and offered them a semiconscious smile. "Yo, dudes!" he greeted them.

Bart immediately went on the bus, without even greeting Otto. Lisa was stunned. Why her brother was so eager to go to school?

She took a step forward, but something stopped her, as if afraid to face the new day. It was just a moment of weakness. She shook her head. "You're ridiculous." she muttered to herself, "You know that this day'll go wonderfully..."

She forced a smile and, after greeting politely Otto, she turned her eyes to the children sitting on the seats. Many of them were laughing, shouting or throwing paper airplanes the others talking aloud to be heard. All the kids are doing their part to contribute to the enormous confusion.

All, that was, except for a particular pair which Lisa immediately saw.

Milhouse e Taffy, to her surprise, were sitting on the same seat, just a few feet from her. Lisa's eyes widened, as inside her she felt an horrible _sensation_, that was different from the one of the last day. She felt so whenever she discovered to be wrong. Until a moment ago, she had thought that the two would no longer even spoken to each other. But instead, there they were, still together, still close. Too close. The two were busy talking to each other, ignoring the world around them. The noise of the other children covered their words, which, however, could easily be intuited by their gestures and expressions. Their heads were close, almost touch each other. Milhouse's eyes looked nothing but Taffy exactly - Lisa felt a tinge of grief - in the same way he used to look at _the smartest, sweetest,_ _most perfectest girl in the whole world_.

It was now that she realized that her brother was beside her, staring at the young couple too. Lisa turned towards him and she finally understood why that morning he was so... not-Bart. He was first tormented by uncertainty and only now had found the answer to what he wanted to know. But he, judging the expression on his face, was disappointed.

Bart took his eyes off from the two lovebirds and sat in the first empty seat he found. Lisa sat near him, wishing to comfort her own brother, although in the same time she wanted to comfort herself.

'This's just the beginning. This day'll go wonderfully...' Lisa repeated mentally.

After a few minutes, Lisa heard Bart mutter something. she approached him and cried, "What?"

He pulled her closer to himself. "Yesterday Milhouse didn't come to help me with my... business. And now I know the why. I'm sure that he didn't even went to the analyst..."

Lisa, who still didn't want Bart to know her worrying feelings, pretended not to know the whole matter. "W-what makes you think it?" she asked a bit uneasy.

"Only Milhouse would prefer a girl over to his best friend!" Bart shouted, even if no one - except for her sister - heard him.

Lisa wanted to point out that also he had almost ignored Milhouse when he was dating a little girl named Jenny. But she remained silent, simply staring at him. In that moment her brother was upset and sad, he wouldn't even listen her.

Bart looked down and began to mumble various phrases under his breath. She didn't understand well what he was saying, but she heard something that sounded like _Christian school_ and_ Samantha_ _Stankey_. Finally, he did something she didn't expect: he covered his face with his hand and began to sob.

Lisa could do nothing but be sorry for him. Bart was afraid of losing his best friend. How many times had she seen him in that state? And why, after all those times, he returned to take Milhouse for granted? She heard a little voice - her conscience? - that told her, 'You may answer at your own question. Now it seems that you're also losing him.'

'It's ridiculous!' Lisa thought, as if she wanted to challenge that voice to a duel, 'I've never considered him as... well, only in some circumstances... but he isn't...'

The bus braked instantly and interrupted her thoughts. Many children gasped. Others, who were standing, staggered and fell to the ground. There was a moment of pause, then Otto murmured, "My fault. Wrong road."

After reversing, he started the engine and drove the bus.

Lisa shifted her gaze to Bart, who was still bend down to sobbing. It seemed that he had not minimally noticed that the bus had braked, or at least he didn't really care at that moment. She reached out her hand, placed it on his shoulder and stroked it gently. Knowing that this wasn't enough to cheer him up, she thought that her brother would have appreciated reassuring speeches, just as he did when Milhouse moved to Capital City for a short time.

"Listen, Bart..." she began, as he raised his head slowly and watched her with bright eyes, "... I don't think he have replaced you. You are important to him, just as he is important to you. Maybe he just needs to..." Lisa paused for find the right words, "... spend his time with a different person. I understand your surprise how he can become attached to a person who barely knows..."

Bart pondered for a moment on the words of her sister. At the end he nodded, even if his eyes were still melancholy. "You're right, Lis." he said slowly, "And then we're talking about Milhouse. I mean, he is willing to accept and hold on any kind of attention he receives. Mostly, what ten year old boy could refuse that kind of attention from a fifth-grade girl?"

"Taffy is a_ fifth-grader_?!" Lisa cried shocked, widening her eyes. Surprises never ended. Before she could just realize her excessive reaction, Bart was already staring at her, confused and suspicious by her behavior. She regained her calm and composure and practically whispered, "I... well, I mean... really? I didn't know."

"Yes, she is." Bart replied, not removing his suspicious gaze from her. "Didn't you know it? Taffy is fairly known at school."

Be known at school could mean three things: you were the biggest dork in the world. Second, you were the most cruel and dangerous prankster. And third...

"Is she _popular_?" Lisa asked. She was pretending to be not so interested on the thing, although in herself was eager for the answer. She also wondered if her brother understood the reason of all these questions. She hoped not, it would have been too embarrassing for her.

Indeed Bart was intrigued by his sister's interest about the matter, however he simply answered, "Yes, she is."

Lisa was now speechless, even more incredulous than before. At the end, that was: Taffy wasn't just a beautiful, kind and caring creature; but also a popular fifth-grader. When ever a fifth-grader would be interested on a younger kid? Not to mention that the kid concerned was Milhouse. She felt for the second time that there was _something_ wrong.

Her brother stared at her for a second, studying her weird reaction at his reply. He finally gave up, shrugged and said, "Maybe sometimes you should put down your trumpet and inquire more about school's gossip."

Even though she know that Bart had a bad moon that day, those words bothered her a lot. "Thank you for the advice," she replied sarcastically, "and anyway, you know that it's not a trumpet. It's a saxophone!"

"And where's the difference?" Bart asked indifferent, glancing out of the window.

This time she decided not to answer. It would only be a waste of time.

Finally the bus braked again, but this time in front of the huge Springfield Elementary School building. At the entrance there was Principal Skinner, his arms crossed and staring at the yellow bus. The kids were twenty minutes late, again.

The bus doors opened. Otto mumbled a greeting that no one understood, and slumped on the steering wheel with a thud, sounding the horn. All the kids got up and began to exit slowly, glancing worried at the driver.

As the children got off the bus and headed towards the school, the principal approached with a firm step towards the vehicle. The angry expression on his face meant troubles for Otto. Without removing his eyes off him, Skinner said, "Kids, hurry to get to class!" Then, lowering his voice, he added to himself, "While I resolve a few things with your driver!"

Lisa turned to her brother to greet him, but he was too busy to look at Milhouse and Taffy, who were hurrying to get to class, hand in hand, under the prying eyes of some children.

"See you later, Lis..." he eventually said, "... now I have to have a little chat with my _best friend_." Without adding anything else, he tried to follow them, but failed when the couple disappeared into the crowd of students.

Lisa began to walk, as the thoughts in her mind couldn't leave her alone. Did she just believe that everything would go wonderfully? Well, she was terribly wrong, and all things considered, it wasn't the first time that day. She hadn't crossed the threshold of the school building yet, but she already felt that awful sensation. And now it was useless to deny that Milhouse was the cause. But why? Why her discomfort has started as soon as he had met Taffy?

Anyone, if had bothered to to look closely at every small gesture - her tiny gasp when she heard Milhouse's name and how she wrinkled her nose as she heard Taffy's one - or had simply know her very well, could deduce that she was jealous of Milhouse. Lisa herself, as she was crossing the school building's threshold was brooding on this hypothesis. But she didn't want to accept it. She didn't want to _believe_ it. For her it would have have been an impossible, unimaginable, unreal thing.

Lisa shook her head. "Great." she whispered to herself, with slight irony, "Even the thought I'm passing my time to think about it it's strange. Though these days I'll go out of my mind completely, I wouldn't be surprised. If I already was, I would be relieved. It would be a viable explanation for all this. But I'm not: fools aren't aware to be fools."

"HEY!" Lisa winced, as she heard someone approaching her. She turned and actually saw Nelson Muntz, pointing his finger at someone behind her. However, what he said was directed to her, "Stop talking to yourself! You're scaring the babies!"

Lisa looked around confused and saw Ralph Wiggum, who was indeed scared. He stepped back a little from her, as he didn't recognize the one who had been his classmate for nearly two years.

"Haw-haw!" he laughed and ran away, without giving her any chance to reply. Many children nearby had witnessed the scene, and now some looked confused, others giggled.

Lisa snorted. 'Wasn't enough my humiliation of yesterday? Of course not! I just wonder what else could happen to me!' She thought about the whole journey by bus. Her brother who first acted in a strange way, then gave vent to his emotions. Her conversation with him. What he had told her.

She stopped in front of his locker and opened it. She looked at her school books. Suddenly a mocking smile graced his lips, as a funny thought crossed her mind. 'What other surprises in store for me this day? What else will I ever find out? Who knows. Maybe Taffy is also a vampire.'

She started to walk towards her classroom, as she began to giggle alone. 'A popular vampire, why not? Eh eh. The _popular vampire_ who falls in love with the _weak one_ of the school.' She started to laugh a little more loudly. Fortunately, the hall had emptied quickly and no one could hear her, this time. 'What a nice novel would be! Who knows if _someone_ has already written _something_ like that!'

Lisa stopped and began to laugh hysterically. Then slowly calmed down. At the end she stopped.

"Ok, I promise myself that this'll be the last crazy thought of the day." she swore at herself. She sighed. "Even if I try to play down as much as possible..." she said at the end, before resuming her walk to her class.


End file.
